This morning I was lounging in bed thinking about finishing my marathon in less than five hours. I started doing the math: I finished a half marathon in 2:19:07. Double that is 4:40. Add a few minutes because it’s unlikely I can keep the same pace for 26.2 miles, so that’s 4:50, 4:55. But what about the water stations? What if I need a bathroom break???!!??

I went from calm to panicked in about 17 seconds. I’M NOT GOING TO MEET MY GOAL! The math doesn’t add up! What if I have to tie my shoe!!??!!

I was in a full-fledged dither.

dither:
1649, “to quake, tremble,” phonetic variant of M.E. didderen (c.1375), of uncertain origin. The sense of “vacillate, be anxious” is from 1819.

I spent a few minutes this morning with Pete, my marathoning buddy, who helped talk me down from my ledge. As my mind started to clear, I realized that his expertise was helping me to see things more clearly, calm down and realize everything would work out.

Strangely enough, I also realized that what Pete did for me is not unlike what I do for my clients. They come to me in dithers of their own with projects that need finishing, ideas that need flushing out, deadlines that seem impossible. And because I am an expert in my field, I can give them advice and counsel that will give them peace of mind. “I can have that business proposal edited by tomorrow COB,” I said to one budding entrepreneur at the end of her rope. And all of a sudden an impossible task seemed possible, and she was no longer freaking out. I regularly tell people, “You’re farther along than you think.” The reassurance helps us move forward.

Not all my clients come to me in a dither, but Pete’s assistance today helped me realize the ability that an expert has to make the impossible seem possible again. Either that or he slipped a tranquilizer into my decaf coffee. Either way, I’m grateful.

I’m also still kind of freaking out. Five days to race day….